Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-03-11
A HORRIBLE DISEASE.
The Strange Case Of Rachel
Solomon.
Her Stomach and Her System Full of
Worms.
A Successful Operation Performed
and Her Life Preserved.

Little Rachel solomon, pretty six
year-old Jewess, says New York
special to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
was recently admitted to the Govern
ment Hospital as patient. She had
complaint that had been given various
names by physicians, but any treatment
that had been given had been followed
by purely negative result. She was
very much emacated. The muscular
tissue had been nearly all absorbed to
support life. and there was nothing left
but the skin and bones, and poor bones
at that. She was patient little thing.
and the only expression that she ever
gave of her suffering was in her black
eyes, which seemed abnormal in size in
contrast with her thin face. and these
had pleading look As they turned TO
the face of the wise men who gathered
around her as if begging for relief.
Rachel had been
SICK FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
She had a severe attack of scarlet
fever. and it was thought that her sub
sequent illness was due. in large
measure, to the after effects of this
disease. The first manifestation was
nausea. The stomach seemed to be ir-
ritable rs TO be unable TO retain any
food save in the smallest quantity, too
small even, if repeatedly given, to sus-
tain life Every kind of food was tried.
Sharp pains radiated from the abdomen
in every direction over the body, and
there were many of the symptoms of
peritontis, but rs the conditions re-
manned much longer than it would take
for peritonitis to destroy life, this idea
was given up. There was a gradual
increase in the strength and number of
the symptoms, and the | f. of the girl
seemed to be slowly ebbing away. As
she could not retain enough food to
nourish her body she lost flesh and
strength, and il was kept up TO Il GER
tain extent by enema. The bowels be-
came greatly cOnst pated and could not
be affected. save in "A slight degree. by
purgatves. Her hair fell out rapidly,
and in time she became nearly bald.
A remarks able feature in her condition
was the temperature of her body. 1t
felt like ice to the touch. This was
thought TO be due to lack of nourish-
ment Artificial heat was applied, but
it did not do much good The child had
feeling of hunger all the time, and
the sensation as described by her was
-thonge: to be similar to what is known
as gnawing in the stomach. She was
weary all the TIME and kept up con-
tinual movement and twisting of the
BODY until she became so weak As to
be hardly able to move.
sTIMULANTs WERE USED HYPoDERM-
ICALLY
With good effect. The heart became
very weak, and frequently was little
more than a nutter. just before her
admission TO the hospital an earth-col-
ored worm was taken from her noStril.
1t was nine inches long. and evidently
came from the stomach. The follow
ing day about forty small worms were
found on the pillow in the morning
where she had slept and number of
the same worms were found in her
mouth. Emctics were given her. but
did not seem to get out of the Gsopha-
gus before being elected, and did not
affect the contents of the stomach. She
was given up to die. a spaSm was
caused in the psophagus by touching
il.
When brought TO the hospital her
abdomen was swollen TO twice the nor
NAL size. The swelling seemed to be
the greatest in the region of the stom-
ach, and the whole body was sore to
the touch. A tumor was suspected.
but it could not be located. As last
resort il was determined to open the
abdomen for the purpose Of expora-
ton. and this might throw some ght
on the subject and give some hint as to
the treatment necessary. Grave fears
were entertained that the child would
die under the operation on account of
weakness. but as the disease was
evidently of great interest to
science and might be cured.
SHE WAS LAID on LIE TABLE
And carefully put under the influence
of ether An incission about five inch
es long was made in the median line
near the navel. The abdominal wall
was so thin that the knife slipped
through before it was known that it
had been penetrated. but fortunately
the bowels were in a collapsed state
and were not injured. The opening of
the abdomen revealed the cause OF its
enlargement as the swelling Of the
stomach. it was more than twice the
natural size and presented peculiarly
notified appearance. 1t could DO easily
compressed with the fingers. but when
the pressure was removed it quickly
expanded 1t was thought TO be filed